Silver Bullet Pest ControlYou've trapped the mice, stuffed steel wool in the holes, sprayed foam around the pipes — and they're back. Silver Bullet Pest Control seals homes and buildings in North Jersey with stainless steel mesh packed tight into the gaps rodents use, so the trapping you do actually finishes the job.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the gap or the droppings to 973-510-2585 — we'll tell you if it's a mouse or rat route.
Yes — stainless steel mesh is one of the best materials for rodent exclusion because mice and rats can't chew through it, it doesn't rust or crumble the way steel wool does, and it can be packed tightly into irregular gaps around pipes, wires and foundations. It works best packed firmly, backed with sealant or mortar where needed, and combined with trapping so no rodents are sealed inside. Silver Bullet Pest Control does stainless steel rodent exclusion across North Jersey; call or text 973-510-2585 for a free quote.
Rodents can chew through a lot. Here's how the common gap fillers hold up:
| Material | Can rodents chew through it? | How long it lasts | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel mesh | No — sharp, tough strands they won't chew through | Doesn't rust; holds up for years | Packing gaps around pipes, wires, sill plates, foundations |
| Regular steel wool | They can pull it out, and it falls apart | Rusts, stains and crumbles, often within a season in damp spots | A quick temporary plug only |
| Copper mesh | Hard to chew | Won't rust, but softer | Small gaps where staining is a concern |
| Expanding foam alone | Yes — mice and rats chew right through it | Lasts, but doesn't stop rodents | Air sealing, not rodent proofing |
| Caulk alone | Yes, in bigger gaps | Fine on hairline cracks | Finishing over mesh |
| Hardware cloth / metal sheet | No | Long-lasting | Larger openings, vents, crawl space openings |
Why foam fails: see does spray foam stop mice? The short version — foam is fine as a finish over mesh, but on its own it's just soft food for teeth.
Smaller than most people think. A mouse can squeeze through a gap about a quarter inch wide — roughly the width of a pencil. A young rat can get through a gap about half an inch wide, about the size of a quarter. If its head fits, the body follows.
That's why exclusion is a detailed job. The big hole behind the dryer is easy to spot. The quarter-inch gap where the gas line enters the basement, or the space under the garage door at one corner, is what keeps the problem going.
Rodents also chew to widen small openings. A crack that's almost big enough today can be a highway next month. Not sure whether you have mice or rats? Our mice vs. rats guide explains the differences.
Older homes, two-families and attached houses all have their own weak spots. These are the ones we seal most:
Wherever a pipe or wire goes through a wall, there's usually a gap around it. Rodents follow pipes inside the walls too, which is how they reach kitchens and bathrooms.
Garages are one of the most common ways mice get into attached homes. A worn rubber seal or a bent corner on the door is plenty of room.
Rats like to work low along the foundation, especially where they're burrowing outside. Mice can climb siding and get in higher up, even at the roofline.
Basement, garage, crawl space, kitchen, utility entries, foundation, and the roofline where mice climb. We mark every gap, not just the busy one.
Stainless steel mesh is cut to size and packed firmly into each gap so there's no loose end for a rodent to pull on.
Where it makes sense, we finish over the mesh with sealant or mortar, so the patch is solid and looks clean.
Larger holes, vents and crawl space openings get sturdier metal screening or sheet, and door bottoms get sweeps where needed.
Any mice or rats already inside are trapped so nothing is sealed in to die in the walls.
We come back to check traps, look for new activity and make sure nothing has chewed around a patch.
A note on brick homes: the small slots near the bottom of brick walls (weep holes) let water drain out, so they shouldn't be sealed solid. They get covered in a way that keeps rodents out and still lets water through. Same idea for dryer vents — see dryer vent covers.
Sealing and trapping work together. Sealing without trapping leaves rodents inside the house with no way out. Trapping without sealing means a new mouse walks in through the same gap next week. That's why our mouse service does both.
For most homes the activity drops a lot in the first week or two once the gaps are closed. More on our rodent work: mice and rat exterminator and rodent proofing and exclusion.
A tight sweep on the garage-to-house door and the outside doors closes one of the easiest routes.
Move firewood, mulch piles and storage away from the house walls so you can see gaps and rodents have less cover.
Expanding foam on its own gets chewed through. If you use it, put stainless steel mesh in first.
Sealing with mice still inside means they die in the walls or chew a new way out — often into the kitchen.
Want the full homeowner checklist? See how to keep mice out of your house.
Every building is different, so we give a free quote after the inspection. The main factors:
| Factor | Smaller job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Number of gaps | A few utility penetrations | Dozens of gaps around the foundation and roofline |
| Building | Newer single-family home | Older two-family, attached homes, mixed-use building |
| Access | Open basement | Finished basement, tight crawl space, high roofline |
| Rodent | Mice | Rats burrowing and chewing at the foundation |
| Activity inside | Just started | Months of activity, nests in insulation |
If rodents have soiled the attic insulation, that can be part of the same job — see attic insulation removal and replacement. For businesses, see commercial pest control.
Tell us where you're seeing droppings or hearing noise and what you've already tried. We'll give you a free quote for sealing and trapping.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
No, mice and rats won't chew through stainless steel mesh. The strands are tough and sharp, so rodents give up on it. What matters is packing it tightly so there's no loose end to pull out, and finishing over it with sealant or mortar where the gap allows.
Yes. Regular steel wool rusts, stains and breaks down, especially in damp basements and outdoors, and rodents can pull it loose. Stainless steel mesh doesn't rust and holds its shape for years. Steel wool is a quick temporary plug; stainless steel mesh is a lasting fix.
A mouse can fit through a gap about a quarter inch wide, roughly the width of a pencil. A young rat can get through a gap about half an inch wide. That's why rodent exclusion means sealing small gaps around pipes, wires and door corners, not just the obvious holes.
Not on its own. Mice and rats chew through expanding foam easily. Foam can be useful for air sealing or as a finish over stainless steel mesh, but if foam is the only thing in the gap, rodents will get through. Mesh first, then foam or sealant if needed.
Do both at the same time. Seal the entry points while trapping the mice already inside. Sealing first with no traps can trap mice in the walls, where they die and smell or chew a new way out. Trapping without sealing just lets new mice walk in.
Stainless steel mesh lasts for many years because it doesn't rust or crumble. The patch usually fails only if it wasn't packed tight, if the area around it changes — like a new crack in the foundation — or if a gap nearby was missed. That's why follow-up visits matter.
Mice usually get in around pipes, gas lines and wires through the foundation, under garage doors and at their corners, through gaps where the house frame sits on the foundation, and around dryer vents. In older two-families and attached homes, they also travel between units through shared walls and basements.
Sealing entry points is part of how we handle mice. Mouse service also includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls in that time. Your free quote will show what we plan to seal and trap, based on the inspection of your home.
You can handle simple things like door sweeps and small gaps around pipes with stainless steel mesh. The hard part is finding every gap, including the ones in the crawl space, behind appliances and at the roofline. If mice keep coming back after you've sealed, there's a gap you haven't found yet.
Yes. We seal and trap in restaurants, stores, warehouses and apartment buildings, with service scheduled around your hours and written records of each visit. Loading docks, door bottoms and utility entries are the usual weak spots. Call or text 973-510-2585 to set up an inspection.
Sí. Sellamos los huecos por donde entran los ratones y las ratas con malla de acero inoxidable y ponemos trampas al mismo tiempo. Hablamos español. Llame o mande texto al 973-510-2585 para una cotización gratis.
Based in Garfield, we serve Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
